Breaking the Loop
by Tora Marikama
Summary: What if you did get your cake at the end of the game? It would open up a whole new can of worms. AU and ocs.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: We do not own Portal.

Aurthor Note: This is what happens when TheCrazyArtist and I talk non-stop for a week: Monsters are born. This one was born from ideas about how an alternet sequal could have been set up. This is our first attmpt doing something like this together, so be nice, and enjoy.

* * *

Breaking the loop

By: Tora Marikama and TheCrazyArtist

Chapter 1

* * *

"Congratulations, the test is now over." Thank goodness! My shoulders slumped in relief.

The platform came to a halt in a small room and I stepped off. In one corner, there was an opened hatch, like the incinerator, but when I looked inside, there was no fire, just a small chamber below.

"Please drop the device in the Aperture Science Equipment Recovery Annex and you may proceed to your party," announced the robotic voice. I did so, and a portal appeared on the opposite wall.

Stepping into it, I found that it led me to an empty office room. A small table had been set up, decorated with some haphazardly thrown confetti, where the repeatedly mentioned cake sat. "This doesn't look like much of a party…"

"None of the off duty personal wanted to attend. I would have invited the weighted companion cube, but you murdered it. "

Oh well, the cake looked good at least. That's all that really mattered, and the fact that I would get to leave after this.

The cake looked like it was coated with chocolate sprinkles and had eight cherries nestled into little dabs of white frosting and claiming the center was a little candle. That made me giddy, for some strange reason. "Make a wish, Chell," I whispered to myself. I blew the flame out and removed the candle before any wax could melt onto the cake.

I looked around the small room for a minute. The whole cake was mine so…smiling, I swiped my finger over the edge and licked the icing off of the digit. I couldn't stop a squeal of delight. That was some cake!

I was on my third slice when I suddenly became drowsy. Guess all of that excitement finely caught up to me…I pushed the plate out of the way and laid… my head… down…

* * *

A sweet aroma. Silence. Beneath my eyelids, I sensed light, not too bright, not too dim. Warmth. Then coolness, as I felt something slide off from over me. I groggily sat up and opened my eyes. For a second, I was dizzy, disoriented.

The room slowly came together.

Clear walls.

A toilet.

A radio, a clipboard and a fresh pair of an orange jumpsuit occupied a small table.

No.

No, no no no no!

"Hello and again, welcome to the Aperture Science Computer Aided Enrichment Center. We are glad that you decided to partake in another test-"

"I didn't decide anything, you crazy computer!" Not this again...please no...

"You have exactly 60 more minutes in the relaxation vault. Please take this time to refresh yourself and attend to your needs as no bathroom breaks will be allowed once the test begins. A nourishing meal will be delivered shortly."

Ticked off, I yelled, "Hey, what about that grief counseling you promised!?" Because heaven knows I'm going to need it.

"The Enrichment Center apologizes; our grief counselors are currently preoccupied with a suicidal weighted companion cube. However, I am more than qualified to-"

I cut her off, "That's okay...just forget I asked."

"Request denied. A special code is needed to delete recordings. I will not bother asking you for the code because I am already aware of the fact that you do not know it."

I slammed my head into my palm. Death by turrets was starting to look appealing... which meant I was probably starting to lose it. Ugh...I don't know how much more of this I could take...

I turned to a new occupant of the room: a shower. At least the computer was being considerate...

* * *

I felt much better after bathing and eating. I was still pissed at that crazy voice, But I felt like I could tolerate another round now.

"Hello. We hope you enjoyed your brief detention in the Relaxation Vault. The Portal will open in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1!"

Sighing, I stepped though the portal. "Let's get this other with."

I walked through the hallway that wrapped around the room and followed it calmly, secretly resisting the urge to flip off the camera that followed my movements. The computer probably wouldn't understand the gesture, anyway. The hallway opened into a single small room with a red button connected to a door by a strip of orange lights. Just like before... but when I looked to my left, where the box drop was, I saw another entrance.

And out of that entrance walked a big beefcake of a man, wearing a red jumpsuit and heel springs. He seemed as surprised as I was. I...I couldn't believe it...

Suddenly, the computer-voice spoke again. "In this test, you will be expected to work with a partner in order to achieve your goal to reach the exit of each testing chamber. The Enrichment center reminds you that you will be rewarded cake once the test is complete." yeah, the cake you spiked! "Please use this time to get to know your partner." I stared at the beefcake for a moment before another thought occurred to me.

I finally broke my long silence. "Compu-"

"I am the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System. You may refer to me as GLaDoS" it supplied.

"Yeah, whatever. You mean to say, I'm not the only one who did this?"

"Affirmative. The Enrichment Center has many test subjects. After running a test, the test subject is returned to..t-t-t-ooo..."

The lights flickered for a moment, then the computer came back on, "Then the test subject is released." Beefcake and I shared an unconvinced look.

"I took a considerate amount of time to choose two candidates to work together. [Insert Male test Subjects name here]'s best time is ten minutes shorter then [insert Female Test Subject's name here]'s worst time. He also showed great reluctance to incinerate his Aperture Science Weighted Companion Cube and is the most stubborn test subject on record." At this, the beefcake looked crestfallen. "He does, however, have a superior strength in comparison to other test subjects and a very strong understanding of how to use the Aperture Science handheld portal device to his advantage."

"Wait, hold on a minute!" I exploded. "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT THERE WERE MORE CUBES?" I had to admit, I had grown a bit attached to it. I had thought it was unique. And it hadn't threatened to stab me.

GlaDoS ignored me and continued, "[insert Female Test Subject's name here] holds the record of best over all time, and the best time of all previous chambers, except one. She shows signs of superior thinking skills and agility. However, she has a nasty disposition."

What?!!

"Together, you will make a well balanced team."

I could see where she was coming from a logical standpoint, but we're humans; there is more to use then a few calculations.

This wasn't going to work.

I looked at the beefcake. This wasn't what I was expecting. Of course, none of this was.

I hadn't seen another human in... I didn't know how long... and then I get a big guy who probably had less brains than the cube waiting in the box drop.

Great.

"The Enrichment Center reminds you that a strong bond with your partner is needed in order to succeed in the testing. Please use this time to get to know your partner", the computer repeated.

I walked up to the beefcake, muttering "Just don't get in my way."

To my surprise, he smiled and said, "look, I get it. After that cube thing... there's no telling what she has planned. But if we have to do this, we might as well be on a name basses, because I'm not going to call you 'insert name here'. I'm Dustin."

"Chell." I held my hand out, but to my horror he reached around me and lifted me up in a hug.

"WHooaaa! O…okay! That's enough of that! Put me down! Put me down!" I blushed, realizing that I sounded like a turret. Dustin let me go with a sheepish grin.

Apparently, that was all the computer required, because the Vital Apparatus Vent opened, and a nondescript cube tumbled down. I picked it up, and balancing it on one knee, carried it over to the red button. The door opened. Easy.

Behind it, the emancipation grille and the elevator waited.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: we do not own.

Author note: Sorry it took so long, but we were both a little preoccupied. CrazyArtist want you to know he is alive. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Breaking the Loop

By: Tora-Marikama and The Crazyartist

Chapter 2

------------

As the elevator started moving down to the next level, GlaDoS announced in her usual impassive voice, "The Enrichment Center reminds you that while the companion cube cannot stab you, we cannot claim the same about your partner."

Dustin looked at me, fear evident on his face.

"Does it look like I have anything I could stab you with?" I leaned against the side of the padded elevator, trying to ignore him.

I thought back, before waking up AGAIN, before the cake, before test chamber 19. That Android level...

_I ran, the turret gunfire sounding too close behind me. I quickly ran around a corner, out of sight. Like before, that sickly sweet voice came, like poisoned honey. "Target lost. Shutting down" God, I hated that thing so much right now. I backed further away and bumped into something behind me. It was a pair of big boxes stacked, waiting. Perfect.  
_

_  
But then my eyes roved from the cubes to the wall. I stepped back in shock when I realized the entire face was covered in dried blood... whoever was there before had rubbed their wounds on the wall to create messy, scrawling letters. It was the same phrase over and over and over, as if a dunce had had to write something on a chalkboard repeatedly for detention.  
_

_  
It read: The cake is a lie. The cake is a lie. The cake...  
_

"You know, for an evil A.I that's out to make our lives miserable, she makes really good cake."

What? I blinked in surprise, suddenly returning to the real world.

"I wonder how she does it…I mean, she can't taste it, can she? That would be really creepy if she had like, some sort of taste sensor."

I hissed at him, "I can't believe you. We're fucking trapped here, fighting for our lives, and you're complementing a computer on her cake recipe!"

"Well, when you put it that way…" he winced under my glare, "Okay, shutting up now."

Yeah, the cake is real. But it's still a lie. Nothing here is what it seems. First chance I get, I'm out of here. With or without the beefcake. Beefcake…crap. I think all of that talk of cake is starting to mess my head up. I need a better nickname for him…

The elevator came to a halt and its metal doors opened for us. We walked down the short hall where the screen for the next test room lit up. Underneath the giant number, the warning signs were a dull gray. So nothing to worry about. The doors opened with no announcement.

Dustin walked in first, and suddenly broke out running to a platform in the center of the room. I smiled fondly at what waited for me.

My old buddy, the hand held portal device.

I picked it up, and GlaDoS broadcasted, "You are now in repossession of the Aperture Science hand held portal device. Please note the difference between the two models. This is to prevent confusion during the testing." I looked at the gun Dustin was holding. There was a slight difference of coloring and shape, but not by much.

"Also please notice that the devices have been modified since your last test run. A button has been added which will remove portals from that device in order to prevent cluttering. Though I am sure you will find other uses for this feature."

I found the button at the front where I normally used my other hand to support the gun. Triggers make portals, button removes them. Got it.

"Please proceed to the exit of the testing chamber." And with that, GlaDoS cut off. From here, I could see that the door was at the top of two large steps.

Feeling rather happy at getting my gun back, I called out to the beefcake, "Race you to the top!"

He ran for the for the nearest wall and called back, "Your on!" To my surprise, the portals he shot were green and red. Guess outer appearance wasn't the only thing that was different. I let him take the head start and finely let loose a mischievous grin as I turned around. High above the door we came through was a plate held out at an angle.

What an idiot.

I shot a blue portal at the square, and another one on the floor. Smiling like a mad man, I ran at it, and just as I jumped I pulled my legs up in a cannon ball pose and flew out the other end.

Right before I finished my decent, I uncurled and landed safely on my heel springs. Dustin's jaw dropped open in surprise, just as he was stepping through his portal.

I smirked, "Try to keep up." I spun on my heels and when I walked through the grid, GlaDoS greeted me with, "Congratulations. You have disproved the theory that using two portal devices within a certain range will cause a rift and rip the object passing through in half. And both of you have apparently retained your knowledge on using the Aperture Science Hand Held Portal device. Please proceed into the chamber lock."

I paused for a moment in horror, and shook it off. Sometimes I wonder if she makes that stuff up for her own amusement.

I grabbed the bar on elevator's side as it began to shake and rumble, going down to the next level. Being in better spirits now that I had my portal device back, I decided to give my partner the mercy of actually looking at him.

He wasn't as beefcake-y as I first thought. At least he didn't look like those crazy body builder's trying to sell exercise equipment on the T.V; he was leaner. He had short blonde hair in a military-style haircut, while his legs... they looked like someone had wrapped shag carpeting around them. The massive hairy tree trunks of his legs next to the delicate machinery of his heel springs was just too funny a sight, and I had a hard time stifling a giggle.

He looked over at me, noticing my barely suppressed grin. "A minute ago, you were grumps Mcgurt, and now you're practically bouncing off the walls. What's got you so happy all of a sudden?" he asked.

I just gave him a hard stare. After a few moments of this, he looked away and muttered "Never mind."

The elevator jolted to a stop, and the doors opened. We walked down the short hall and waited a second for the board by the door to flicker to life. With it, came GlaDoS's voice.

"While some things are impossible with only one portal device, it may not be so difficult to achieve with two." Just great, advice in the form of a riddle. And here I was hoping for one of her attempts to scare us shitless.

On the sign, Most of the warning boxes were a light grey, save for one showing a stick figure drowning. Vat of acid, no problem.

Beyond the doors, the room seemed to be divided into three parts; each separated by a glass partition. The first part, where we stood, was shaped like the letter L, with three 10-foot areas connected side-by-side. The second part, halfway in the crook of the L, was a 20-by-10 foot section with a pit of acid. Beyond that was another L, with normal floors and the exit door.

Looking closer, I saw that the 'glass' dividers that ran lengthwise down the room were strange shimmery blue fields of... something. It reminded me of the emancipation grille in appearance. The partitions facing us were normal Plexiglas.

"The Aperture Science Material Density Feild is... you could say, the opposite of the Aperture Science Emancipation Grille, as it blocks heavy matter like people or Weighted Storage Cubes, but allows portal shots to pass through."

It clicked.

The computer's hint -yes, it was a hint- made sense.

I quickly fired the orange portal at the wall opposite the field, then the blue one through said field onto the wall there.

It was impossible to fire a portal THROUGH your own portal, as both needed to be open in order to create the third, but since it was an instantaneous process... It was a logic fallacy. It was possible to create portals while standing halfway through one, so long as the device was fully on the other side of the portal. However, as soon as you did that, you'd be cut in half. Or assuming you were fully on the other side, you'd die anyway because of the acid pit. With two of us, however, there was a chance to succeed.

Dustin was still looking at the pit muttering to himself. "But since X equals... that'd be impossible." Before he burst into another round of calculation, I got his attention with "Hey, you."

'Hey, you' looked at me with puzzlement. I simply pushed him until he was standing in front of my orange portal. He was now looking over the vat, through the field, at our backs. "yeah, what?" he asked. I then moved him over to the side a touch, so he was now looking diagonally through it at the wall next to the exit.

Catching on, he shot a green portal at said wall, then a red one right next to us.

Stepping through, he appeared on the other side, and I quickly followed suit.

As we triumphantly passed through the emancipation grille, GLaDoS spoke again. "Well done! While common sense denies the ability to shoot portals through your own, there are no such inhibitions when using two handheld portal devices."

The next ride down was quiet, thankfully. My "Partner" and I exited and were greeted by another huge bright sign. Then we'd go into another room, almost get killed, then the elevator again, and another room, and another, and another, then we'd put back to sleep, then woken again for a new test and it would go on and on and on and-

Whoa, okay calm down Chell. Got to keep yourself together. You'll get out of this. I just have to wait for the right opportunity. But right now, I got to focus, got to survive whatever GlaDoS has to dish out. Crap. Now I'm thinking about cakes again.

"Are you okay?"

I startle and look up at Dustin, who is smiling down at me. I don't know how he does it…how he can be so…together, when I'm obviously not. Or maybe he is crumbling apart and is just better at hiding it. I dunno.

I shook my head and looked at the warning signs. Turrets…oh goodie.

Dustin didn't even look at the board and instead walked straight out. A cute little voice rang out and a red beam appeared. "there you are!"

I quickly pulled him away as machine gun fire rang out, ducked behind a raised platform, back pressed hard against the surface... "Searching...searching...target lost."

I let out my held breath. Why again was I paired with such an idiot?

I peered around one side of the raised platform, and Dustin was on the other. There was another platform at the same height and I could part of a button on it from this angle. The other side was the usual portal friendly material, while the side we stood at was all metal. I counted only three turrets. One between the two platforms and two occupying either corner near the exit.

"give me a minuet...I want to try something." I pulled back and looked at my dim witted partner, who seemed to have his full concentration on the turrets. I watched as he shot a random portal hole, then darted around the platform, setting the closest corner sentry off. Spluttering, I tried to go after the idiot, but he backed up into me and shoved me back into the blind spot.

At that same moment a turret came shooting out of Dustin's first portal hole. Then with a press of a button, the portal was gone and the turret crashed loudly onto solid floor. It screamed and shot wildly for a moment, before folding up and dying with a sad, "...wwwhhhyyy?"

Dustin broke out laughing, "And here I thought it was funny watching them just bounce between portals!"

I got an idea and quickly created a blue portal on the wall behind one of the still intact turrets, then an orange one underneath the other. a moment later, both of the white little buggers were laying on the ground, shooting randomly. after a few moments, they stopped, and "I don't blame you" floated around the corner.

With the danger out of the way, I analyzed the room again. There wasn't a box drop...oh well, might as well try standing on the buttons and see what happens.

I turned to Dustin reluctantly. "You're going to have to give me a foot up."

He snorted, "Why not use one of your fancy tricks to get yourself up?"

I smacked the wall of the raised platform pointedly. "This side is all metal, and its not possible to fling from the other side. She's trying to enforce us to work together. So, come on."

"Why don't you give me a foot up and you portal up to the other platform??"

Was he trying to give me attitude? Sorry beefcake, but it's not happening. I starred UP at him pointedly.

He blinked a few times, sighed, and finally consented. I placed a foot into his cupped hands and he lifted me high enough to get a good grip. I got my free leg over, and managed to pull the rest of myself up.

Dustin waited until he was sure that I was seated on the button, before shooting a portal parallel to the other platform, and another one on a nearby wall.

The second he landed on the button, there was a click and the door open. I waited, trying to think things out, but Dustin jumped off.

The door shut.

"Get back on your button and give me a minute to think." I grumbled in irritation.

He stepped back on, reopening the door. Beyond it, was a clear view of a white wall.

Bingo.

I shot an orange portal at it, and leaped off the platform. I placed its twin on a wall and peaked through it, looking for danger. Nothing.

I stepped through it, and waited for Dustin to follow. I quickly grabbed him before he could step around the corner and into unknown dangers. I shot a new orange portal at the intersection, and looked through the blue one. I was met by a red beam to my forehead.

I was grabbed by the back of the jumpsuit and yanked out of the way, just as gunfire came through the hole.

"Good going, Chell."

"YOU can't say anything. At least I didn't walk blindly into a test room."

"Touché."

Cautiously peered around the corner created by the portal, ducking to avoid the turret's beam.

"Well?" asked Dustin behind me.

I stayed quiet as I backed away and then stood up. I continued my silence as he impatiently moved to where I was, and even kept my mouth closed as he gasped and reeled back as if he'd been physically punched.

"I think we're going to have to think this through better..." he muttered.

"This is reinforcement."

"What?"

"You have to think from a testing stand point to get her. We just learned some new tricks. Now she wants to see us use them all together practically. Thank of it as a surprise pop quiz."

"...I never liked those..." he muttered under his breath, then, "You have a plan already."

"Yeah...sort of. We're going to have to be quick though. Mind switching guns?"

"Um. yes? Look, I might not be bright but I'm sure I could do whatever you need done for you-"

"Dustin, come on. Trust me on this. It's not like there's acid here for me to drop it in."

"Fine." He reluctantly switched weapons with me.

"Now get in the corner. When you here the turrets go off, remove my portals. That...should hopefully eliminate the amount of stray gun fire."

"WHAT?!"

I didn't bother answering. I took a deep breath and moved in front of the portal, face to face with a turret army.

I quickly ran through the portal, shooting red and green ones on platforms, taking out a few turrets. I shot a red portal above another even as I jumped off my own chunk of tile, narrowly missing the spray of bullets that came from a turret to my right. I fell, shooting a green portal below me, hoping I'd judged correctly and wouldn't go splat.

I landed on another platform and shoved It's occupant off while ducking to avoid another burst.

The next few minutes were a blur; I vaguely recalled the smell of sweat, the sensation of fear, the painful feeling of bullets hitting my fingertips, the victorious sight of a turret knocking into another, and the taste of blood where I had bit my tongue. But it was over quickly, leaving me standing alone, the final cry of "No Hard Feelings" echoing up from somewhere below me.

"I hope you realize you are absolutely mad."

I looked over the edge at Dustin and broke out laughing. Hysterical, crazy laughter. "Trust me, I know. You would have frozen the minute you heard the guns go off. You would have been a liability. It was better this way." suddenly remembering the blood dripping from my fingers, I licked each off and examined the damage. I got lucky that time; just a graze. I pressed my fingers against my pants and hoped the pressure would stop the bleeding.

"This isn't a game!" I looked back down in surprise. Beefcake finally cracked. He screamed with all his might at me, "I'm being serous Chell, DON'T DO THAT AGAIN!! I could have helped, I could have done something, besides sit around the corner while you had at it like a maniac! What happens if one of dies, huh? No telling what GlaDoS would do!"

His voice suddenly softened and he whispered, "I can't stand the thought of being alone again. I wouldn't be able to stand it if I had to see you die."

Why the hell was he getting so emotional over me? We haven't even known each other for a day.

"We're in this together, okay? Promise me you won't do that again." Aw man, did he just sniffle? I can't believe it, please tell me he isn't about to cry. If he cries, I'll start crying and we'll look like complete idiots, standing in a blood splattered test room, crying for no good reason. Wait, that's what normal people do when under stress. Guess I don't qualify as normal anymore.

"Alright, I promise I'll try."

I once again slumped into the round walls of the elevator and sighed, knowing it was only going to get harder. There's no way in hell I'm going to let GlaDoS keep me here as her personal play thing to torture. I AM going to get out of here. I am. I feel stupid telling myself that over and over, but I 'm afraid that if I don't, I'll forget and lose hope.

I wonder just how many get this far. I looked at Dustin out of the corner of my eye, not wanting to draw his attention. Is that why we were partnered up? To keep us from going insane? Or, more insane at least.

Dustin, I guess he's okay. He's a complete moron but he did save my life, well, I saved his more -but who's counting? Yeah, maybe I can handle hanging with him after all. I might even take him with me, though I'm making no promises.

Suddenly, there's a very familiar sound, followed by a revolting smell. I quickly covered my face with my shirt and screamed, "UGH! DUSTIN! Did you have to do THAT?!"

"Hey! It's a normal body function!"

Forget what I thought earlier. The farther I'm away from him, the better!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: we do not own portal.

* * *

Breaking the loop

By: Tora Marikama and TheCrazyArtist

Chapter 3

* * *

Soon enough, the elevator stopped, and when the doors opened, I all but exploded out of there, desperate to escape Dustin's fumes.

He also quickly ran out of there, either because he'd finally smelled is own product or because he was excite for the next chamber, I didn't know.

I quickly looked on the board, and was glad to see nothing indicating turrets.

However, along with an acid pit sign, there were some new icons. one was a stick figure walking on a bridge. so there was a bridge?

There was also a line with spikes on the bottom crushing a stick figure.

GlaDoS came online. Just when I was starting to get used to her silence..."you are doing quite well together. We are very proud of your success. Very, very proud. In this chammm-cham-am-am-mmmmmmm..." The computer suddenly cut off, along with all of the lights, even the board.

I expected them to come back on, but the room remained dark. this...couldn't be good.

GlaDoS returned, anounceing,"We apologize for the inconvenience but there has been an emergency and all tests must be temporarily terminated. If the problem is not resolved within the next 30 minutes, an emergency retrieval unit will be sent out to return you to your relaxation vaults until the issue has been resolved. Please remain calm and wait for further announcements. We once again apologize for this inconvenience and we thank you for your cooperation while the situation is being resolved."

Well, isn't this just dandy? At least we're not in the chamber.

Dustin sat down against the wall, trying to peer into the test chamber. It was no use, though, as all the lights were off.

I followed his lead, leaning my back against the wall. we were both silent for a time. I can't speak for dustin, but suddenly I was thinking of the previous chamber. I could have died...

Half without realizing I was speaking aloud, I suddenly began to talk. "When I started out here, I was a janitor."

Dustin snorted.

I glared in his direction, "It's not funny!"

Dustin was chuckling now. "Yeah it is. I didn't think someone smart like you would be working a low paying job like that."

"First of all, no matter how smart you are, a bad reputation won't get you far in life; second, the pay was actually pretty good. more then what most companies pay to get a few toilets cleaned." That shut him up.

Satisfied that he was done, I continued. "I've been in the foster system most of my life. Sometimes you get lucky and end up with a good family, but they never last. Either they get fed up with you or they don't get the papers signed fast enough and you get shipped off again. Then there are the rotten families that give a care and either ignore you or set you up."

"Why are you mentioning this?" He asked with a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"That's where my bad reputation comes from. Have a nasty record of shoplifting, got banned from five different stores, ended up in Juvie and arrested once."

"Arrested?" I could see his shadowy form scoot closer, and I had to remind myself that it's just Dustin, I don't have to scoot away.

I yanked my pony tail out and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to distract myself."Yeah. When I was seventeen, grocery store caught on fire and they blamed it on me, made up a load of shit about me being destructive. My foster agent had to bail me out. Set me up with a nice family and told me to hang on til my eighteenth birthday. I didn't see much of the father. He worked at this top-notch military contracting company... I think it's called Black Hill... no, it started with an M, but was some kind of hill."

Mesa?" Dustin suggested.

I paused for a moment to look in his general direction. "Yeah! that's it, Black Mesa. Anyway, It's down in Arizona or somewhere like that, and I figured that if I was going to make it on my own next year I needed to get a job fast and that seemed like a good place to start."

"It didn't work?" Dustin shifted again, probably trying to get more computable.

I scoffed. "What do you think? When I looked up Black Mesa, and I saw that they had a few business rivals, and decided to try those next. Aperture was the only one willing to give me a chance and they gave me the position of janitor. First three years were just fine. I minded my business, kept my smart mouth shut, and got free boarding…"

Pleased that I managed to get a few knots out, I leaned forward so I could gather my hair up and slip it through the band. "Everyone was nice and pitied my poor soul, sometimes I'd even take on another job to earn some extra cash, like when the pipes busted really badly and they didn't want a plumber to come in. Then one day I wake up in the glass box."

And then the idiot tried to hug me again! I jumped up and whacked his hand with the portal gun. "Just because we talked doesn't mean we're friends all of the sudden!" I yelled.

It quiet for a bit, then I asked, "So what's your story?"

He shrugged, "Oh, it's not as interesting as yours. I got a college sponsorship from them and an offer to tour the facility. I thought they were trying to secure future employees then...glass box."

It was my turn to snort. "How exactly did you get a sponsorship?"

I could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke. "I passed with an A in advanced placement chemistry and physic courses."

I stared at him.

"Give me an equation and I'll have no problems. Put me in a real world situation though, and...eh." Dustin shrugged again.

"Eh" described the Beefcake all too well.

After a few more moments of silence, the lights and board came on again, and Dustin stood up. "That was quicker than I expected..."

GLaDOS spoke again. "Now that the brea- er... problem has been terminated, the test chambers are now back online. For the next test, you AH AH AH AH ER ER EE EEEE..." The lights went out again, but the board stayed lit this time, brightly illuminating our tiny section of hallway.

Dustin sat down again. "Never mind, then."

A fear started to grow, that we would be collected and returned to the little cubicles. "Dustin, how long has it been?"

He scrunched his face in thought. "I don't know. You don't think..."

He was cut off by the sound of the elevator door opening.

A robotic figure stepped out into the light of the sign, but the elevator remained open. "Please assume the party escort submission position." it said in a vaguely French-sounding accent, but still with that unmistakable synthesized buzz on the edge of its voice.

It looked like someone had taken a turret, gutted out the insides, replaced the machine guns with arms, and added legs.

I stood up, angry and scared, the familiar, addictive rush of adrenaline coming back. "There is no way in hell we're going back!" I shot a portal under it, only to realize that it's wide spread thin legs stretched over the length of the oval hole. Not good! "AWW SHI- you got to be kidding me!"

Something very peculiar about this place, about running around with a portal gun, causes you to start to develop an artificial set of instincts. Or at least that's what I'm calling them. The natural instincts to run, fight or hide have been thrown out the window, so portal instincts have kicked in. Instinct one says "Shoot it with the gun, you dipstick!" Well, that's been scratched out. Instinct two is screaming, "Then use it on something else!"

I scan the hall in a hurry, but its empty, and that thing will be on us in minuets-he sure is taking his sweet time, is he that confidant in catching us? No, no, get your head strait, it's a robot, it probably can't walk any faster than that.

It's just me, it, and...

...Dustin!

I quickly shot a blue portal at the ceiling and was in the process of aiming at Dustin's feet when GLaDOS spoke again. "Please assume the party escort submission position. The test chamber has been shut down momentarily, and you will be returned to the test chamber once it is running again."

I ignored her and shot an orange portal under Dustin. However, the robot somehow knew what I was doing and stepped back, and Dustin landed right in front of it. The robot reached forward, and with unexpected speed, had twisted his arms behind his back.

Crap.

The machine started backing up to the elevator- there wasn't enough room for it to turn around, and poor Dustin was screaming and thrashing.

"This is an emergency sequence procedure. Please remain calm. Lay face down with your hands to your side and the party escort associate will return you to your relaxation vault. We again apologize for this inconvenience."

"Like hell I will!" I shot a portal at a camera in the nearest corner, and GlaDoS shouted in protest, "Do not destroy vital testing apparatus!" I grabbed the camera by the base and started beating the hell out of that over grown tin can. I doubt it was doing any damage, but it seemed very distracted between the two of us.

Suddenly its chest opened up and blue gas leaked from it. I gasped in surprise and moved back, covering my mouth with the neck of my shirt. Dustin wasn't so lucky and got a face full of the stuff. He slumped over unconscious. The robot released him and he collapsed onto the floor unceremoniously. A part of me preyed that would have been enough to wake him back up, but Dustin remained knocked out cold.

The robot stepped over him with ease. "Please assume the Party escort submission position."

The robot grabbed my wrists; wrenching away my portal gun and trying to get me to let go of my collar. It quickly became a game of tug-o-war, with the robot trying to force me to breathe the sleep gas and me resisting.

However, the robot ended it just as quickly; setting down the portal gun and then using that free hand to push back my head. It hurt like hell, but I tried to resist.

But it was to no avail; the hallway was noticeably darkening; and not because the board running out of power. After a minute of struggling, it was over. The last thing I felt was the robot unceremoniously slinging me over its shoulder...


End file.
